Buttonhole-cutter and ripper



(NoModeL) A. A. HUDGINS. BUTTONHOLE CUTTER AND RIPPER.

No. 560,616. Patented May 19, 1896. l

UNITED STATES PATENT QFFIQE.

ANNA ALBERT IIUD-GINS, OF ROME, GEORGIA.

BUTTONHOLE-CUTTER AND RIPPER.

SPECIFICATION forming part of Letters Patent No. 560,616, dated May 19, 1896.

Application filed September 14,1895. Serial No. 662,551. (No model.)

To all whom it may concern:

Be it known that LANNA ALBERT HUnGINs, a citizen of the United States, and a resident of Rome, in the county of Floyd and State of Georgia, have invented certain new and useful Improvements in Buttonhole-Cutters and Rippers; and I do hereby declare the following to be a full, clear, and exact description of the invention, such as will enable others skilled in the art to which it appertains to make and use the same, reference beinghad to the accompanying drawings, and to letters of reference marked thereon, which form a part of this specification.

This invention has for its object the production of a cutter for attachment to the table of a sewing-machine, to a work-table, lap-board, or other convenient place, which is norinally'concealed and sheathed from danger of accident, and which when turned up for use may be utilized for cuttingbuttonholes and other slits and for cutting the threads of seams in ripping and for other uses usually convenient for needle-work, the details of all of which will be hereinafter fully set forth. 7

In the accompanying drawings, Figure 1 is a perspective view of the device attached to the dropleaf of a sewing-machine and turned up as when in use. Fig. 2 is a section through a fragment of the table or base-board, show ing the device approximately full size and open as for use, and also showing the recess for the blade when turned down and out of use. Fig. 3 is a section on the line 3 3, Fig. 2, showing a front elevation and more plainly showing the form of the blade proper. Fig. 4. is a section on the line 4 4, further showing the construction of the blade and its means of attachment to the leaf of the device.

In the figures like reference-characters are uniformly employed in the designation of the corresponding elements of construction.

A is the table of asewing-machine, of which a is the drop-leaf, merely typifying, however, a baseboard of any desired form, such as the top of awork or other table, a lap board, or a special base of sufficient weight to resist the side thrust in ripping seams, &c.

B is the cutter, which is composed of aleaf I), provided with a screw-hole b, properly countersunk, and a leaf 6*, pivotally secured thereto and of any desired conformation, a thumbnail hold 6 being provided for ease of lifting same when depressed.

O is the blade, which is formed of a lozenge shape with fleam-shaped point and cutting edges 0 0 0 the two former of which lie along the two upper edges, the first, 0, extending from the extreme point nearly to the base 0, the second, 0 extending from said point to the obtuse angle, and the last, 0 lying along the third edge and extending from said obtuse angle to near the juncture of said side with the base. This provides a point for entering and divergent cutting edges for slitting-as,

for instance, for cutting buttonholes-the cutting edge e serving to cut from such point of entry of the point outwardly to the edge of the goods by pulling said goods toward the operator and the edges over and near the obtuse angle serving to cut threads in a seam by simply holding the two joined parts of the garment 'astride the edge of the blade and moving same upwardly and downwardly across said obtuse angle and along the sides 0 and 0 the angle serving to make a shearing or advancing cut.

In ripping seams in expensive goods this cutter is especially advantageous, as both hands are available for manipulating the goods and all danger of cutting the goods is obviated, andalso a gentle pull may be given the two parts in a divergent direction, where by the ripping may be facilitated and some of the stitches pulled out without cutting. Ordinarily one hand wields the knife used in cutting the threads, while the other is used as best it may be to manipulate both parts of the garment, (sometimes difficult to handle with both hands on account of its weight or the curvature or sinuosity of the seams,) or one part of the garment is pinned to the skirt of the operator,while one hand wields the knife and the other holds the goods. The base 0 is secured to the leaf 5 by a screw Z1 and this fastening is made secure against turning of the blade under pressure by a point 0 (same being the corner formed by the turning up of the blade pr0per,) being bent downwardly and inserted in a depression in the leaf 71 as best shown in Fig. 4.

vice is attached to the base by means of a single screw d, the leaves Z1 and b being either This de-' ICO inortised into the said base, as shown in the drawings, and lying with their upper sides flush, or, as would be equally as good, perhaps, being merely screwed to the top of said base and lying entirely thereabove, with the exception of the knuckle and the blade, for both of which it will be necessary to mortise, as seen in Figs. 2 and 3. WVhen folded down, it will be observed that the knife is sheathed and concealed, so as to be inaccessible to children and not liable to obstruct the 1n ovement of goods on the table.

Having thus described my invention, what I claim as new, and desire to secure by Letters Patent, is

In a buttonholecutter and ripper, a base, a leaf hinged thereto, a knife composed of an angle-plate the projecting sharpened portion of which is lozenge-shaped, a point bent at the lower end of the angle, the leaf being recessed to receive said point and a screw passing through the base of said angle into the leaf, substantially as and for the purpose specified.

In testimony whereof I hereunto affix my signature in presence of two witnesses.

CHARLES B. HUDGINS, SAML. FUNKHOUSER. 

